ShājāpurShajapuralso spelled ShāhjāpurShahjapurtown, administrative headquarters of Shājāpur district, western Madhya Pradesh state, central India. The town lies just west of the Lakunda River. It was founded c. AD 1640 is on the Agra-Mumbai (Bombay) road and is connected with Guna, Indore, and Ujjain.

It was founded about 1640 CEby the Mughal emperor

Shāh

Shah Jahān, its name being a

corruption

derivation of

Shāhjahānpur

Shahjahanpur. A well-preserved fort contains the palace of

Tārā Bāī

Tara Bai, a

historic Marāṭhā

Maratha queen. The town is a major road junction and an agricultural market

;

. The chief industries are cotton ginning

is the chief industry.

, processing and bailing; the production of flour; and the manufacture of bricks. Shajapur conducts trade with Indore and Ujjain. There is a college affiliated with Vikram University. A fruit research farm is nearby.

Shājāpur district (area 2,394 sq mi [6,201 sq km]) comprises areas of the former Gwalior, Bhopāl, and Dewās princely states. It Shajapur lies on the fertile Mālwa Malwa Plateau, watered by the Kāli Kali Sindh and Newaj rivers. Cotton, millet, wheat, peanuts (groundnuts), and tobacco are the chief crops. Jaina remains are scattered throughout the district, which was transferred from Gwalior division in 1956region. Pop. (19812001) town, 33,969; district, 840,24750,075.